Mellisa's Crew - Victor- George- Ron- Melissa- Tom- Jamie- Doug- Dwayne- Ted
If you are looking to exchange the dead heat of a Las Vegas summer for a cooler, more scenic venue, then the Vineman 70.3 Triathlon in the Russian River Valley of Northern California is the race for you. It features a barely wetsuit-legal swim in the Russian River (virtually no current) followed by a bike course that takes you winding through a myriad of vineyards and a run that, although hilly, is incredibly lush and green.
The logistics of getting there with your bike can be a little challenging since it is a 10 hour drive from Las Vegas. The closest airports are Oakland and San Francisco which are an hour away, unless of course you have your own plane like some people we know, and can fly directly into the Sonoma County airport which is five miles from the finish line.
Register early for the race as it tends to sell out and make your accommodations as soon as possible. Our group enjoyed our stay at the Sonoma County Condos (Worldmark by Wyndham) which is approximately three miles from the finish line in Windsor. This location is great as we found the need to travel back and forth between our condos and the expo multiple times. Windsor is a 10-minute drive from Santa Rosa and features a variety of quaint restaurants and a Walmart for those last minute race supplies.
Our group drove up early and previewed the course prior to race day, which I highly recommend. The weather was 90 degrees on the high end and 55 degrees for the low. We were fortunate to have a cloud cover for longer than forecasted on race day so we took advantage of the cooler temperatures and had a fabulous time.
Also, if you like wine, then you cannot miss the opportunity to put together a great post race party the next day at the local vineyards. We did!
The logistics of getting there with your bike can be a little challenging since it is a 10 hour drive from Las Vegas. The closest airports are Oakland and San Francisco which are an hour away, unless of course you have your own plane like some people we know, and can fly directly into the Sonoma County airport which is five miles from the finish line.
Register early for the race as it tends to sell out and make your accommodations as soon as possible. Our group enjoyed our stay at the Sonoma County Condos (Worldmark by Wyndham) which is approximately three miles from the finish line in Windsor. This location is great as we found the need to travel back and forth between our condos and the expo multiple times. Windsor is a 10-minute drive from Santa Rosa and features a variety of quaint restaurants and a Walmart for those last minute race supplies.
Our group drove up early and previewed the course prior to race day, which I highly recommend. The weather was 90 degrees on the high end and 55 degrees for the low. We were fortunate to have a cloud cover for longer than forecasted on race day so we took advantage of the cooler temperatures and had a fabulous time.
Also, if you like wine, then you cannot miss the opportunity to put together a great post race party the next day at the local vineyards. We did!
It looks like there are about 8 guys for every girl on this trip - how does she do it? By the way Mellisa came blasting by me on the run at mile 7 - her leg turn over was great, she destroyed me with her energy. Congratulations - nice race. Dave Carlson
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